O’BSERVATION:
I’m sorry for the day’s delay in getting the Christmas induction online. My extended family was hit with a major loss last week, followed the next day by the loss of a friend of mine from my Nooyawk era….
Here Itt is! Our penultimate tribute to ‘The Addams Family’ and the annual Christmas induction into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame. Why did I make this choice for the holiday?
ITT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!
Come on! How could I resist?
COUSIN ITT
From Wikipedia:
Cousin Itt is a fictional character in the Addams Family television and film series. He was developed specifically for the 1964 television series and is a regular supporting character in subsequent motion-picture, television and stage adaptations.
Cousin Itt is a diminutive, hirsute being, his visible form composed entirely of floor-length blonde hair. He has an IQ of 320, is often attired in bowler hat and round sunglasses, and speaks in a high-pitched gibberish that is understood only by his family. As he was created specifically for the television series, illustrations of the character by cartoonist Charles Addams followed the show's debut, first in a single-panel sketch showing Itt on the telephone ("This is It speaking"), and later in family-portrait artwork. He drives a Messerschmitt Kabinenroller.
Cousin Itt is introduced in the television series as the cousin of family patriarch Gomez Addams. He is an occasional guest in the Addams home, entering and exiting through the chimney, though he also has his own quarters which are furnished in proportion to his size. He vainly attempts a multitude of professions such as an actor, a singer, a marriage counselor, and a zoo curator, while his physical appearance is the subject of one episode in which he begins to lose his hair.
Cousin Itt appeared in 19 total episodes of the original series and was played by Felix Silla, except for two appearances in which he was played by Roger Arroyo. Silla attended a casting call in Los Angeles and was given the role on the spot without having to audition. The character's heavy costume was first constructed with real hair but later changed to a fire-retardant synthetic, as smoking was common on-set and the real hair was therefore a fire hazard. Silla's instructions were simply to walk around on the set, as Itt's voice (provided by sound engineer Tony Magro) was dubbed in post-production, but he often had difficulty seeing through the costume.
The character appears with the other family members in a September 23, 1972 crossover episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, titled "Wednesday Is Missing". His vocal effects were provided by John Stephenson, who returned to the role in the 1973 Hanna-Barbera animated series.
He also appeared in the 1977 Halloween reunion TV special.
Welcome to the Hall, Itt. Feel free to relax and let your hair down.
Yeah... I have no regrets.
Exit, Stage Left....
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